gloomy june
gloomy june covers “Black Sheep,” and nails it
Here’s one for all you Brie Larson, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and punk pop fans. gloomy june, a killer band from the Bay Area has done a solid remake of the “Black Sheep” by Metric. If you’re wondering why an original artist with nearly a dozen singles released would choose to do a cover, the reasoning is quite simple (and effective). It adds fans. The purists out there aren’t going to like it, but, remember, this is (in the end) a business and you need followers to sustain that business. The original track has over 100 million streams (if you count the Brie Larson version) and the chance that those fans would run across this one are high, especially if it’s spot on.
There’s two ways to do it. You can get as close to the original as possible, or massively alter it. Either way, if the vocals are production are honest, it’ll work. The new version will find it’s fans. gloomy june has done a great job of sticking to the original, adding some subtle changes and making it a little cleaner - we love it - here’s our review.
Track starts with the same atmospheric feel and that famous octave riff - but it’s a little shorter and cleaner than the original from the Metrics. gloomy wisely chooses to cut the original intro in half and get to the riff sooner. As the riff hits, we realize we’re running at the same bpm as the original - good choice. With the verses, it’s a bit more surgical and tactical in delivery but the effect is just the same - it’s an honorable remake. It’s tracked it in the same key as the original so it’s cool to compare the difference in timbre between Alexi and Emily. Alexi has a more rounded tone than Emily and it serves the song well. The accents are slightly different as well, so the pronunciations stand out to the ear.
The chorus has a noticeable difference in the background vocals. Whereas the original features more soprano voiced BG’s, gloomy adds some great depth by choosing to add lower harmonies on the word “everyone”. Nice stamp there - great choice - it really adds to the depth of the section. The outro solo is cleaner as well - less chaotic than the original, but in many ways its easier on the palate. gloomy chooses to go back to the vocalized “ooo” section to end the track whereas the original fades out and down in it’s atmospheric opening feel, but gloomy’s interpretation works really well. All in all, this is a solid remake and one that I’m sure Metric would be proud of. If you listen to the other material from gloomy, you’ll see why it’s a wise choice - it’s right in their lane.
Make sure you scroll down to check out their socials and other tracks. They’ve got a solid sound and great vocals. Our favorites include “Save Anyone,” “Go Fast” and “Always Gonna Let You Down.” They remind us a bit of Paramore and the Cranberries. Melodies and production are solid. They’ve got a great sound and know how to make a track work - we look forward to what they’ll be doing next.